Injuries have paved way for new stars in NBA playoffs

May 10, 2013
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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) celebrates a score with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (not pictured) against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the AT&T Center. / Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports

by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

As the four NBA conference semifinals enter a loaded weekend schedule, each is tied 1-1 and features twisting story lines and wildly entertaining play.

Now imagine if everybody was healthy.

Star after star has been forced to the sideline by serious injury, and it seemed the games would inevitably be less compelling because of it. But this adjusted script might be better than the original.

Talk about a silver lining to the 'second season.'

A look at the unexpected ripple effects of the injuries that each team, and its respective fan base, had every reason to think spelled its end.

â?¢ As if the Stephen Curry's coming-out party wasn't enough, here comes Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson with a show all his own.

The second-year guard had gone quiet after Warriors coach Mark Jackson deemed him and Curry the "best-shooting backcourt in the history of the game" early in the first round, but Thompson scored 29 of his 34 points in the first half of the Warriors' win against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday while hitting eight of nine three-pointers.

"I felt like Steph Curry out there," Thompson deadpanned.

None of this would have likely happened if Warriors forward David Lee hadn't torn his right hip flexor in Game 1 of the first round, as the loss of their lone All-Star meant the offense was even more perimeter-oriented than usual.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who had invoked the name of Michael Jordan while comparing the experience of watching Curry play even before Curry's 44-point, 11-assist outing in Game 1, knows now that he has two Warriors guards to worry about as the series moves to the Bay Area with games on Friday night and Sunday.

"I thought it was polite of them to at least take turns and not both be on fire on the same night," Popovich said. "Maybe the next iteration is neither one of them will be hot in Game 3. That's what I'm hoping."

He's in the minority there, though.

Curry has even the old-timers trying to remember another player who was this thrilling to watch.

His high-arching scoop shots in the lane have sparked comparisons to Spurs legend George Gervin, while his seemingly limitless range reminds Jackson of his longtime Pacers teammate, Reggie Miller.

Curry has been making plays for others, as well. He leads all playoff players in assists (8.9 a game), is third in scoring (26.5 points a game) and is shooting 43% from three-point range.

â?¢ Nate Robinson, a 5-9 journeyman guard once known more for his exploits in the slam dunk competition and his Twitter arguments with Shaquille O'Neal than his actual play, is keeping the Chicago Bulls in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoffs as their series vs. the Miami Heat shifts to Chicago tonight.

Robinson is on his fifth team in the past five seasons and is playing on a one-year, $1.2 million non-guaranteed contract. At times, he has looked like Curry has in the West, hitting jump shots, driving to the basket and diving for loose balls.

He is playing because 2011 MVP Derrick Rose tore his anterior cruciate ligament in April 2012 and hasn't returned. Robinson had a Rose-like moment when he scored 27 points and had nine assists, and scored Chicago's final seven points during a 10-0 run at the end of Game 1 to lead the Bulls to a win vs. the Miami Heat.

It is clear that the Heat need to keep him in check if they are to win this series and move toward a second championship in as many seasons.

â?¢ Kevin Durant has the reputation as the game's second-best player. He will strengthen that if he is able to lead his team into the Western Conference Finals without his running mate Russell Westbrook, who suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in Game 3 of the first round. But why stop there? It would be quite LeBron-like of him to get the Thunder to the Finals like James did his Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007. If only the West weren't so stacked.

Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies, who tied their series with the Thunder on Tuesday and host them on Saturday in Game 3, have a prime opportunity to take advantage of Westbrook's absence and stick it to the pundits after they were criticized by some for trading small forward Rudy Gay to Toronto in late January. They set a new franchise record for regular season wins (56) and are playing with just the sort of balance and poise that the team's new owners and front office executives envisioned when they did the deal.

A closer look at the Durant's new role: the Thunder have lost three of the five games without Westbrook, and Durant's scoring is up slightly since he went down (34.4 points per game compared to 33.3 in the regular season). He had to score 35 for the Thunder to come from behind to beat Memphis in Game 1. He had 41 in the game Westbrook was injured. He'll need to keep that up if the Thunder want a return trip to the Finals.

â?¢ Paul George has replaced Danny Granger for the Indiana Pacers and the third-year small forward became an All-Star and is now locked in a postseason battle royale with the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony that could boost his profile yet again.

George is a defensive stopper for the Pacers and in the Game 1 win vs. the Knicks helped hold Anthony to 10-of-28 shooting, and scored 20 points.

"Paul George, I think, is the best in the league at being able to kind of carry the offensive load for this team, but also night in and night out for this team, he guards â?? regardless of position, one, two, three, four â?? he guards the other team's best player," Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw said. "It's a lot to ask of anybody."

George showed his competitive fire after the Pacers dropped Game 2, lamenting that Anthony's bounceback effort (32 points on 13 of 26 shooting) was because, in large part, of the fact that he didn't have to face George nearly as often during the game. George has upped much of his production from the regular season thus far to 18.9 points per game, but that's a luxury. It's his defense the Pacers are counting on. He has shown he can deliver.